Hyland (UEN). – Mr. President, I would like to join with the other speakers in complementing the rapporteur for her work on this very important report. The food scares experienced in recent years must never again be allowed to reach proportions which threaten European consumers, farmers and the agrifood industry. I believe that great credit is due to the Commission, in particular Commissioner Byrne, for systematically putting forward a series of legislative proposals which aim to address each of the issues that needed to be tackled to guarantee our consumers a safe and traceable product, from farm to fork.

This particular proposal addresses some clear weaknesses which have been highlighted in the control services. Tremendous effort has been made to facilitate a first reading conclusion of this dossier before the end of the legislative period. The Commission initially sought to introduce criminal sanctions, but faced with the Member States' unanimous opposition to this approach, the Commission wisely decided to settle for a statement on the matter.

As regards the issue of scope and whether the proposed regulations should take in all aspects of animal health and welfare, or only those aspects impinging on food safety, I am glad that in the final analysis the Council accepted the wider scope that was urged by Parliament.

The fees issue was also hotly contested. The latest text allows a situation whereby the collection of fees will continue to apply to those activities that are currently subject to fees – i.e. meat and fishery products inspection, veterinary residue testing, and controls on live animals.